Soko

At Soko a troop of monkeys lives in and around the village under community protection: local tradition holds them to be connected with the ancestors and forbids harming them, so they are unafraid and move freely among the houses and the sacred grove nearby. Villagers feed them and guide visitors, and the arrangement has kept a population going in a region where forest and wildlife have both been heavily reduced.

What you actually see

• The monkey troop - animals living unafraid among the village houses.
• The sacred grove - the protected wood the troop uses beside the village.
• The tradition - the belief that protects the animals from being harmed.
• The feeding - villagers bringing food, which brings the troop in close.

When to go

November to February is the dry season and the most comfortable. Mornings and late afternoons are when the monkeys are most active. The rains from June to October make the road difficult.

Honest expectations

The monkeys are habituated and will take food and belongings; bags need holding. Feeding them changes their behaviour and some guides push it hard. Facilities are none.

Nearby

Bondoukou is nearby, and the Ghanaian border is east.